Putin set to extend rule amid Orchestrated vote despite quiet protests in Russia

• Early returns indicated Putin would extend his rule for six more years, with approximately 87% of the vote secured.
• Putin hailed the early results as an indication of “trust” and “hope” in him, reflecting the preordained nature of the election.
• Putin’s fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month.

At noon on Sunday, Russians crowded outside polling stations on the final day of a presidential election, seemingly responding to an opposition call to protest against President Vladimir Putin. The vote offered no real alternatives after Putin had ruthlessly cracked down on dissent. Shortly after the last polls closed, early returns indicated the expected conclusion: Putin would extend his nearly quarter-century rule for six more years. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, he secured approximately 87 percent of the vote with about 60 percent of precincts counted.

Putin hailed the extraordinary early results as an indication of “trust” and “hope” in him, which further reflected the preordained nature of the election. Only three token rivals competed against the Russian leader, and authorities stifled any public criticism of him or his war in Ukraine.

Putin’s fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month, while other critics either languish in jail or live in exile. Unusually, Putin mentioned Navalny by name in a news conference following the closure of the polls. He stated that someone informed him of an idea to release the opposition leader from prison days before his death. Putin claimed that he agreed to the idea, stipulating that Navalny should not return to Russia.

As people voted on Sunday, Russian authorities reported that Ukraine had launched a massive new wave of attacks on Russia, resulting in the deaths of two people, beyond the fact that voters had virtually no choice, independent monitoring of the election was extremely limited.

In a tightly controlled environment with little room for real protest, Navalny’s associates encouraged those discontent with Putin or the war to go to the polls at noon on Sunday. Lines outside several polling stations both inside Russia and at its embassies around the world appeared to swell at that time.

Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, was among those who heeded the call. She joined a long line at the Russian Embassy in Berlin as some in the crowd applauded and chanted her name. Spending more than five hours in the line, she told reporters after casting her vote that she wrote her late husband’s name on the ballot.

Asked whether she had a message for Putin, Navalnaya replied: “Please stop asking for messages from me or somebody for Mr. Putin. There could be no negotiations and nothing with Mr. Putin because he’s a killer, he’s a gangster.”

Some Russians waiting to vote in Moscow and St. Petersburg informed The Associated Press that they were participating in the protest, but it wasn’t possible to confirm whether all of those in line were doing so. One woman in Moscow, who identified herself as Yulia, told the AP that she was voting for the first time.

“Even if my vote doesn’t change anything, my conscience will be clear … for the future that I want to see for our country,” she said. Like others, she didn’t give her full name because of security concerns.

Another Moscow voter, who only identified himself by his first name, Vadim, expressed his hope for change but admitted that “unfortunately, it’s unlikely.” Meanwhile, supporters of Navalny flocked to his grave in Moscow, with some bringing ballots with his name written on them.

Russia’s biggest independent news outlet, Meduza, published photos of ballots it received from their readers, with one inscribed with “killer,” another with “thief,” and yet another with “The Hague awaits you.” The last inscription refers to an arrest warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

After polls closed, Putin declared that the protests had no effect and stated that any crimes would be punished. Some individuals informed the AP that they were pleased to vote for Putin — a sentiment not unexpected in a country where independent media have been crippled, state TV continuously praises the Russian leader, and expressing any other opinion is risky.

Dmitry Sergienko, who cast his ballot in Moscow, said, “I am happy with everything and want everything to continue as it is now.”

Voting occurred over three days at polling stations across the vast country’s 11 time zones, including illegally annexed regions of Ukraine and online. While polls closed Sunday night in Russia, voting continued at some embassies around the world. Despite tight controls, authorities reported several dozen cases of vandalism at polling stations throughout the voting period.

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